The Chronicle of a Reformed Feminist Killjoy

Sorry, not sorry.

We (Americans) elected a racist, xenophobic, homophobic, sexist, anti-lgbtqa, KKK endorsed fascist who faces trial for rape of a minor in December…

Obviously there has been some mixed feelings about this election (to put it lightly). Something I have noticed in the aftermath of this, is this meme (or some variation of it) floating around Facebook.

As many of you know, I deleted a bunch of Trump supporters off my Facebook a while back and took a lot of heat for it. I took so much heat that I seriously rethought my reaction. Was I too emotional? Was this “close-minded”? (a name thrown at me several times) I even contemplated apologizing.

But then I started to think about the 1st Amendment, and more pointedly what isn’t protected within it.

A person has a right to discuss and say many things, many of which I do not agree with. But, I support your right to express yourself. However, as prior legislation has proven, some forms of expression are NOT protected under the 1st Amendment, most notably certain forms of hate speech. (This article helps define what is and isn’t protected and why)

To me, Donald Trump is the embodiment of hate speech as defined as “threatening” or “fighting words” and that is why I do not feel bad removing you from my corner of the internet when you support him.

In the political arena there is “liberal” and “conservative” and everything in between that makes politics in America so colorful. These differences in opinion are all apart of the political discourse where free thinking, democracy and debate flourish. However, to me, Donald Trump is not apart of this. He is not apart of a aggrandizing of America, he is a threat, and exactly the kind of foolishness that banning certain aspects of hate speech serves to prevent.

He is the political equivalent of wearing a necklace of diamonds with a racial slur carved into it. It shows people a shiny facade that distracts from the fact that what you’re participating in debases the entire country. The bottom line is, the N-word could be written in 24k gold or in dog shit and it would still be a fucking problem. What I’m finding is that people see a college educated man in a suit and think that because he isn’t running around in a bed sheet, burning crosses in his front yard that he’s still not one and the same.

I equate supporting Donald Trump with supporting white nationalists, meninists, the alt-right, neo-Nazis,or the KKK; all things that when I think about “free thinking” and “Democracy” I do not include.

I refuse to further debase our political system by acting like he is a “normal” or acceptable part of the American political arena.